The Press., 1887-11-10
One si.la z Inc etors

--Tle murder in Hebron last week is likely to be proven to have been tiendlsh and premeditated atrocity. Coroner Phelps has finished taking evidence in the case, closing with going to the jail and taking Hodel's statement or confession. Hod-l said to the coroner that he had made up his mind that he would kill hinself.& He told his wife about it, and she asked him to kill her also, as she would then be lone some without him. He male up his mind to do the deed last Sunday, but got over his angry feelings and thought he womb wait few days. Tuesday, he decided to do the deed that night, and went to bed intending to get up about midnight He l arose early in the morning, but did not have the courage to commit the crime. He drank a little wine to give him courage j; but it did not seem to have the desired ef- feet, and he drank some alcohol, which made him feel "all right" He carried a mattr into the bedroom, ripped it open, and poured on some kerosene oil so as to make it burn rapidly. He then set fire to the bed, and shot his wife. The children cried for mercy, but his wife did not. He intended to shoot himself, but both bar rels were discharged when he shot his wife. The coroner asked him why he did not stay in the room and suffocSte with l was ''too much smoke" He persists that he Was not drunk, and knew what he was doing all the time
 The more the affair Is investigated the plainer it appears that the murders were premeditated, and that they were truly cold blooded, atrocious killings, and that the poor wife was far from being willing victim. .. r..e, .E- .... s-....r i 7
 Hodel is 32 years of age. He was never known to be drunk, and the drinking in this case Was too evidently solely for the purpose of nerving himself for the con contemplated crime
 Taken on the whole Coroner Phelps characterizes the crime one of the most brutal and revolting in detail of all that have occurred in the state for years, and so clearly premeditatcd that the miserable
 wretch must hang.
 The other side:
 W. A. King IS to defend Hodel, and on Tuesday last went to consult with him.
 He was accompanied by F. A. Fagg as in.
 terpreter. MT. King says 'tCoronerPhelps
 statement that Hodel is bloodthirsty an
 archist is all imagination. Hodel has com
 mitted terrible crime, but those whC
 know him best have no doubt that he if irresponsible. He is an educated mar ! wife whatever was the disturbing infu ence in his mind, was neither intoxicated
 nor jealous. :" Mir. Fagg, who is Q .disin tterested person, also dissents from the ex i pressed opinion of the coroner, and witt
 those who know him his opinion will carry
 considerable weight. Hodel, although O
 Swiss birth, spent much of his early life il Germany, and uses the German language He is quite intelligent, though now ill { pitable mental condition, and can talk col
 lectively but short time, then complains
 of his head being in 8 whirl, and require
 rest. It was slow process getting at hi story, and after getting all the facts of hi 5 life, his experience in this country, ant l concerning his domestic life leading up t. a the eve of the murder, the interview haC to be closed, to be resumed to-day. MT : Fagg's impression of the man is that h. has very sensitive nature and had beer = excited by troubles that had made life l. burden to him, and that himself and wifi had, as stated by Hodel, decided that Tiff
 was burden from which death..wouId be
 blessed relief. It appears that Hodel ha worked at Patterson, N. J., where he ha l. been concerned in strike, that driven b d starvation to accept work he had thereb a made enemies of his striking associates . whose annOyances and prosecutions ha
 driven him nearly wild, and caused him
 leave the place. He came to Turnerville y and soon after was followed by associate l. from Patterson. These assumed to be hi : friends, but few days before the traged
 taunts concerning himself and wife throw
 out before a crowd had shown him ths e persecution was to follow him, and thi . turn of affairs again discouraged hims e. and wife. He deuies that he was jealou T. !, or had cause for jealousy, and asserts ths his domestic relations were not in then d selves unhappy. The circumstances ( y the crime, as stated above, are yet to b ,s related by him.